Reinforced masonry beam.



' w. P. FRANCIS. REINFORCED MASONRY BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-Z3. 1914.

Patnted Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

Afro/Mrs v WITNESSES:

w. P. FRANCIS.

REINFORCED MASONRY BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED 050.23. I9I4.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S a 8 M m R M m 81 A M Y wrrlr rmrmcmmrrnancrs, or arrears, cnonem.

nnrnroncnn MASONRY EAM. 1 r

Specification of Letters fatent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

Application filed December 23, 1914. Serial No, 878,729.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WrLLrAM'PrNoKnEY FRANCIS, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of Atlanta, in the county of F ulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Reinforced Masonry Beam, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to masonry, and more particularly to a composite beam having a metallic reinforce for strengthening the brick masonry of the beam.

The invention has for its general objects to provide a beam composed of brick or other blocks laid in courses and united by mortar or other bonding material, and in the beam is a reinforcing structure of novel form, whereby great strength is obtained with a. minimum of material, and whereby the bricks can be laid in'an easy and expeditious manner.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a metallic rein forcing structure for beams, which structure is composed of a plurality of bars suitably united together and having lugs struck out therefrom to enter the joints between adjacent bricks, whereby there is an effective anchorage between the masonry and reinforcing element.

Another object of the invention is the employment in connection with the rein-- 'forcing bars of upwardly-extending looped members which are embedded in the masonry to reinforce and stiffen the same against vertical and horizontal stresses,such looped members being so disposed as to lie in the plane of the joints between therows or courses of bricks so that it will be unnecessary to cut or break the bricks in build-- ing up the masonry. I

With such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of thercinforcing structure of a beam with partol' the masonry built up thereon; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of theheam on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a Side new of 3 the metallic reinforcing structure; Fig. i is a plan view'of a portion of the beambefore the top course of bricks is laid; Fig. 5 is a transverse section of a modified form of "beam; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the reinforcing element of the beam shown in Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentar'y perspective views of different forms of angle-iron stock used in the making of the reinforcing structures. Fig. 9 isa fragmentary perspective view of a. modified form of reinforcing element; and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of a further modification.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the reinforced structure and B the masonry built up thereon. This reinforcing structure A comprises two oppositely-disposed anglebars 1 and 2 which are arranged with the webs or flanges 3 vertical and the webs or flanges l horizontal. These angle-bars are parallel and spaced apart and the vertical web of each has struck out therefrom rightangularly disposed lugs or. anchor elements 5 which are spaced apart a distance about the length of a brick, so that a brick will set in between every pair of lugs 5. The angle bars 1 and 2 are united by obliquely disposed inverted U-shaped or. looped connecting and stiffening elements 6 which are bent from rod stock and'have their vertical mernbers 7 will occupy a position between certainf layers of brick. The looped element 6 maybe further secured to the angle bars by clip. bolts 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, such bolts passing through openings 11 in the vertical webs 3 of the angle bars. Clips 26 may take the place of lugs 5, as shown in Fig. 9.

The complete reinforcing structure is shown in Fig. 3, and it will be noted that the angle bars are united together by two groups of looped clen'leuts (3, the elements of one group being oppositely disposed to those of the other group, and in the present instance each group has three looped elements, but obviously thc'numher may be changed, as circumstances require.

. umns or other supporting means on which the ends of the reinforcing structure rest, the flanges 3 extending upwardly, as do also the looped members 6. Applied to the under side of the angle-irons are tiles 12 which are held in place by U-shaped clips 13 which extend inwardly fronithe side edges of the tile with the upper members 14 engaging over the horizontal flanges 4 of the angle-irons, and the members 15 of the clips engaging under the tiles. Mortar is then placed on the tiles in the space between the angle-irons, and a line of bricks or other blocks 16 is held in this mortar, the angle-irons being spaced apart just far enough to accommodate a brick between them. Mortar is then applied to the horizontal flanges 4: of the angleirons, and the bricks 1.7 are set'in this mortar, each brick 17 being placed in between each pair of adjacent lugs 5 of the angleirons. After this lower course of bricks 16 and 17 has been laid another course of bricks 16 will be laid on the first course, and in this manner course after course will be laid until the beam is of the desired height. In the construction shown, the resulting beam is thewidth of three bricks in a course and the height of four courses. The horiz'ontal members 9 of the looped element 6 will lie between the top course of bricks and the one next below it, and the vertical mem bers 7 will. lie in the vertical bonds between the superimposed lines of bricks l6 and 17.

A reinforcing structure suitable for a beam made of two vertical courses of bricks is shown in Fig. 6, and is c. mposed of two angle-bars 18 and 19 which are oppositely disposed and set back to back, and these bars have laterally-extending lugs 20 similar to the lugs 5 of the angle-bars of Fig. 1. These lugs may be punched out from the verticalwebs of the angle-bars, according to either method shown in Figs. 7 and 8, or clips may be bolted on to answer the same purpose. Clamped between the angle-bars 18 and 19 is a vertical frame formed of a straight rod 20 and a waved or zigzag rod 21 that embodies vertical members 22 connected by horizontal members 23, alternate members 23 being at the top and bottom of the frame. The straight rod 20 is secured to the top connecting portions 23 of the bar 21 by clips or other suitable fastenings 24:. This frame made of the rods 20 and 21 lies between the vertical courses of bricks 25 and 25 which are laid respectively on the angle-bars l8 and 19.

In Fig. 9 the laterally projecting members that extend into the joints between the bricks are formed as clips 26 which are fastened to the vertical web 27 of the reinforcing bar. In this figure the reinforcing bar is of T-shape cross-section, so that the horizontal flanges 28 will support the 7 the joints between adjacent bricks just as 7 the lugs 5 of Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the 'artto which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the structure which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A reinforcing structure for masonry beams, comprising a pair of parallel spaced bars each having a horizontal and a vertical flange, the vertical flanges having lugs extending outwardly therefrom and overly the horizontal flanges, and inverted loop dd elements extending) space between the ars and secured to the latter. 1 V

2. A reinforcing structure for masonry beams comprising a pair of spaced parallel bars having vertical and horizontal flanges, spaced vertically disposed U-shaped elements arranged obliquely to the bars, and means for connecting the elements to the vertical flanges of the bars.

3. The combination of a pair of spaced angle-bars having vertical and horizontal flanges, tiles fastened to the bottom of the bars and closing the space between the latter, lines of mortar-embedded bricks lying on the horizontal flanges of the bars and on the tile between the bars, laterally-extending lugs on the vertical flanges extending into the joints between the bricks, and ob liquely disposed U-shaped elements fastened to the bars and composed of vertical members and a horizontal member embedded in the layers of'brick supported on the bars and tiles.

4:. A metallic reinforce for masonry beams, comprising a bar of angular form and having a horizontal brick-supporting obliquely across the web and a vertical web adapted to lie be-- tween rows of brick, members extending laterally from the vertical web and over the horizontal web, said members being spaced apart at such a distance as to be'adapted to enter the joints between the bricks on the horizontal web, and vertical loops extending Upwardly from the vertical web of the bar.

,5. A. metallic reinforce' for masonry beams, comprising a bar of angular form and having a horizontal brick-supporting web and a vertical web adapted to liebetween rows of brick, members extending laterally from the vertical web and over the horizontal web, said members being spaced apart at such a distance as to be adapted to enter the joints between the bricks on the upwardly from the vertical Web of the bar,

each loop being of an ch length longitudi- 15 nally of the bar as to extend over a plurality v of said laterally extcndin% In testimony whereof members.- have signed my name to this specificatmn 1n the pre ence (if two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM Witnesses FAIR Donn, F. T. RILEY.

PINGKSEY .FRANGIS- 

